


A Hare-Raising Dare

by paintedskullfairy



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Bog's dressed as a rabbit what more do you want?, Dare, Easter, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14154171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedskullfairy/pseuds/paintedskullfairy
Summary: A dare from Dawn sees Marianne asking out the guy in the stupid rabbit costume for a date.On the plus side, he has the most gorgeous, blue eyes.





	A Hare-Raising Dare

"Happy Easter - come to King's Emporium for our seasonal sale." A dry voice announced from a rabbit costume as Marianne and Dawn walked through the mall's entrance.

The girls hardly paid any attention, too busy with their own conversation.

"Right, so I need to get you an Easter egg, dad one... oh and Sunny too!" Dawn exclaimed, counting on her slender fingers while concentrating.

"I feel like you've left this until last minute." Marianne suggested, unzipping her leather jacket. For late March the weather was miserable, inside the heated mall however she feared she might melt.

"I can't help it! I've been busy!" Dawn cried, turning to her sister. "Like _you_ have gotten everything sorted!"

"Actually," Marianne began with a smirk, "I got everything a few weeks back." 

"No!" 

"Yep, all done and dusted." 

"That’s..." Dawn looked deflated, "that’s not fair! You're never organised!" 

"Well, I've had tons of free time so..."

"Oh right. Sorry, I forgot." 

Marianne gave a smile, her engagement may have been a shame but it was the best thing that had ever happened to her, no point spending your life with someone toxic, but rather spending it with someone who gets you, makes you laugh... it had been a while since the wedding was called off, but no matter how strong a front she put on, Marianne did feel lonely.

"Hey," Marianne said pulling Dawn into a headlock, "you don't get to be sad, besides haven't we got shopping to do?"

***

 

"Have you noticed how expensive Easter eggs have got?" Marianne asked her sister who was scanning the shelves.

"I don't think I pay attention to the price like if it looks good and I want to eat it, I buy it." 

"Dawn, that's how you get into debt." 

"Would you prefer it if I got into debt with Easter eggs or expensive shoes?" 

"Do you want my honest opinion?" Marianne asked with a raised eyebrow, her hands on her hips.

Dawn nodded. "Of course."

"Neither." 

With a roll of her eyes, Dawn returned to scanning the shelves. 

Marianne wandered up off the aisle on her own, lazily looking at the confectionary and bunny-related decorations.

She wasn't really for or against the holiday but had enjoyed it as a kid. Early Easter morning, she and Dawn would scavenge around looking for eggs only for them to have already been dug up by their childhood pet Lizzie, a grand German Sheppard who believed she was part dog, part lizard. 

Marianne continued to reminisce when she caught sight of some children, perhaps in their early teens outside the shop. 

King's Emporium was a well-known family run business in their local mall, each holiday its shelves were lined with seasonal goodies and treats. Marianne loved their Halloween decorations every year, and whoever was in charge of their window displays for the last few years, definitely had a soft-spot for gore.

The shop, which had become some sort of local landmark was always filled with people of all ages, so it wasn't abnormal to see all the children outside. Still, Marianne felt a little sorry for whoever was wearing the stupid rabbit costume, it just made them a moving target.

"Hey, Marianne which one would you prefer?" Dawn asked from behind, holding up two exactly the same Easter eggs.

Before Marianne could answer a roar came from outside, the teens had scampered and it seemed as if the rabbit was angrily shouting after them, fist raised in the air.

"I have never seen an angry bunny." Dawn attempted to say while holding in a giggle.

Marianne stifled a laugh at the poor expense of the costume wearing individual.  

"Go and pay for those before the rabbit comes in here and shouts at us." Marianne teased. 

"I will, I will - but you can't rush important chocolate-based decisions." 

Marianne gave her sister the look.

"Fine, but just more thing..." Dawn rummaged in her basket before pulling out a light up hair band with a pair of felt rabbit ears attached. 

Marianne looked at them with disgust. "No way." 

"Please wear them."

"No!"

"It'll add some colour to your outfit!" 

"That's it, I'm getting the rabbit to shout at you." 

Dawn immediately put the rabbit ears on a nearby shelf and hurried to the checkout till calling Marianne a bully under her breath as she did so.

  
  


***

"I'm so exhausted." Dawn heaved, relaxing in her chair.

"I did all the heavy lifting!" Marianne proclaimed defensively.

"Shopping is considered a sport you know."

"By who?"

"Everyone."

"I highly doubt that Dawn." Marianne claimed, taking a sip from her takeaway coffee cup. The sisters were sat in the upper half of the mall, on a small table that provided the best view of the surrounding shops and their shoppers.

Looking out from this height felt nostalgic to Marianne, having spent her teen years coming here, sister in tow. For as long as she could remember they would always grab this table if it was free and sit people watching for hours. Sometimes playing dares to pass the time. 

"Hey," Marianne began, "do you remember when we used to play dares here as kids?"

Dawn looked up from her drink. 

"I do! I remember always winning." 

"What? You never won." 

"Oh Marianne, you are _so_ defensive."

"Am not." Marianne argued, subconsciously crossing her arms.

"Alright, alright. If you really did win, you wouldn't mind a game for old times' sake." Dawn said with a sly grin.

_Easy_ , Marianne thought to herself. Dawn was too much of a goody-two-shoes for anything that could be considered a challenge.

"So," Dawn asked, "who shall go first?" 

"I shall, as reigning champion." 

Dawn blew a raspberry. "Right, just let me think..."

She scrunched up her face in deep thought as her eyes traced all around the mall. Marianne sat smugly back in her chair, anything Dawn came up with would be a piece of cake to complete and Marianne could once again wear the crown of 'dare queen'. 

In her arrogance, Marianne followed Dawn's gaze. She realised for the last few moments her sister had rested her eyes on something near the entrance. Marianne scanned around but couldn't really see anything, apart from a few people coming and going, all avoiding the person in the rabbit costume.

Marianne sat up in her chair, her hands gripping at the armrests.

She darted a look towards her sister who was smiling. 

"No-" 

"Marianne, I dare you to go down to the individual in the unfortunate looking rabbit costume... and ask them out for a date." 

Marianne groaned.

"Can't I just take the head boppers from earlier and wear them for the rest of the day?" She pleaded.

Dawn shook her head.

Exasperated, Marianne turned back to look at the rabbit costume.

It must have been years old, as she pretty sure, even from way up here, that the tail was now both missing fluff and that the remainder fluff was a shade of yellow. 

"Why do I feel tricked into this?" Marianne asked, not realising how devious her little sister could be, she did learn from the best after all.

"It's a win-win. You do this, I get to see you on a date and giving relationships a go again and you automatically become the winner of dares."

"Automatically?" 

"Yep, cross my heart." Dawn said, acting out the notion. 

Marianne sighed, "So I just have to ask the rabbit out for a date?" 

Dawn nodded.

"Doesn't matter if they turn me down?" 

"They won't turn you down! You're so... _loveable_!" 

Marianne rolled her eyes. Picking up her drink she gulped down the rest of her coffee, as if trying to prep herself, and rose to her feet. Making her way towards the rabbit.

Thinking to herself how humiliating this was, Marianne took the escalator down to the ground floor. When she reached the bottom, she looked over at her sister, still perched at their spot. She was quite certain that Dawn just winked at her. 

Whenever she got nervous or embarrassed, Marianne had a tendency to suffer from immediate word vomit, where words that made no sense were strung together in one sloppy sentence. She felt this was going to be one of those moments. What was she even going to say? Should she honestly say it was a dare? No, that's more humiliating for the person inside the costume. Should she have a chat up line?

' _I don't normally put all my eggs in one basket but_ -' Marianne stopped herself with a shudder, no, that was ridiculous, creepy and should never be vocalised. Ever. Again. 

She was only a few steps away now, and the rabbit's back was to her. Good thing too, if he saw her coming from the front he would most likely scamper. 

Marianne sighed before telling herself to just pluck up the courage and do it. 

"Hey," she called out even before she could stop herself. 

The rabbit ignored her, great start.

"Hey." Marianne called again, coming around the side and to the rabbit's front.

The costumed lump turned, and all Marianne could see was a young man's face amongst the pink and patchy mess of fabric.

"Can I help you?" The man said, his face a mixture of severe embarrassment and boredom. "If you are looking for the toilets, they are down this row of shops and to the left." 

When he spoke, his voice was heavy as if there was some sort of accent there. Small tuffs of dark hair hung out underneath from the costume's hood and were pressed against his frowning forehead. Marianne had to admit, even though he looked stupid, he did have some gorgeous, blue eyes and was actually, to her surprise, pretty handsome. 

"I'm not looking for the toilets." Marianne replied slowly, fighting the urge not to word vomit. 

"Oh? Ok, then what is wrong?" The man's expression changed albeit slightly. There was still tiredness in his tone. 

"This is- Well- I wanted to ask..." Marianne couldn't help herself and her cheeks began to feel hot, even though she was a grown woman this was one of the most degrading things she had ever done. 

She just knew that Dawn was intently watching from up on the platform smirking wildly to herself. 

"Are you ill miss? You've gone bright red." 

"I'm not-" 

"There is a first aid point down-" 

"Willyougooutwithme?" Marianne nearly shouted, the sentence coming out bumbled together as if she was back in school and speaking to her childhood crush. 

"I'm sorry?" The man asked, squinting as if trying to make sense whether the woman in front of him was sane or not. 

"Please don't make me ask again." Marianne mumbled.

"Did you... just ask me...?" 

Marianne nodded, refusing to look him in the eye. 

"I'm... I'm flattered. But surely this is a joke?" 

Marianne met his eye and felt a twinge in her gut. It did feel like a cruel joke and both of them were the victims. 

"It's not..." Marianne tried to argue, but she couldn't bring herself to lie.

"I mean, it has to be. I'm dressed as a _bloody_ rabbit." 

Marianne laughed, she hadn't intended to do so – she blamed the nerves.

"I'm sorry," She explained after she pulled herself together, "but the fact you are wearing that costume is just well..." 

"Utterly hilarious. I hate this thing, my mother thought it would be good to see the co-owner of King's Emporium out greeting customers in this aged old suit." 

"Co-owner of King's?!" Marianne cried, oh god she had really made herself look an idiot this time. 

The man nodded by way of introduction, "Bog King, entrepreneur and repulsive rabbit."

"Marianne Goodwood, extremely embarrassed and an apparent rabbit fan." 

Bog smiled, "bunnies aren't normally my thing." 

"I agree, don't mind Easter but prefer Halloween. Oh, actually you're the best person to ask. Who does your window displays? You know, like last year King's had that witch summoning zombies and there were like, limbs coming up from the ground and every hour the sacrificial heart pumped blood." 

"That would be me." Bog admitted rather proudly. 

"No way!" Marianne exclaimed, forgetting a moment ago she felt sick with awkwardness.

"If you liked that you should see what we have arranged for this year, planning is done so far in advance, pretty sure we have all the items already. You should have a look." He paused, "That sounded a bit full on, I didn't mean..." 

"Oh, no...  _no_." Mariane said dismissively, "it's not, I mean to be fair, I did ask you out." 

"So, you meant that?" 

Without thinking Marianne nodded, forgetting for a moment about the dare. 

"Well, if I knew wearing this stupid outfit would work I would have worn it sooner."

"Really?" Marianne questioned.

"Of course not, I want to burn it and never see a single Easter related product so long as I live." 

The two laughed, but the awkwardness in the atmosphere cut it short. 

Bog used the rabbit's arm to scratch the back of the rabbit's head. "So erm, did you want to see the Halloween stuff? I mean, it's cool if not. Not bothered. Just offering... there's  no discounts."

"You know what? I'd be down to see it." Marianne pointed blindly up to where her sister was seated last time she checked. "My sister is up there, I gotta let her know just where I'm going. You know, in case you murder me or something." 

"So now I'm a killer bunny?" Bog asked before turning to the direction Marianne had gestured.

He squinted up to the platform, then his eyes grew wide with recognition. 

"You're Dawn's sister?" 

"You know Dawn?!" 

Bog nodded, "her boyfriend, Sunny has been working with us coming up four years next month." 

Marianne face flushed, not because of embarrassment but anger. 

"She knew!" Marianne seethed, not realising she was spouting out loud. 

"Knew?" Bog queried. 

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Marianne muttered to herself, before turning to get her sister's attention, but instead surprised to see someone up there on the platform with her.

"Wait a minute," Marianne asked, "Who's that woman with the red hair?" 

Bog turned to see and let out a loud groan. 

"That... would be my mother." 

Dawn and the red-headed woman, realising they had been noticed from their peeping spot, attempted to duck down to hide but to no avail.

"I'm so sorry," Bog began, "I think you've been set up, my mother has been trying to get me to date for ages, I think you were roped into one of her many schemes." 

"Dawn's been trying with me too, I can't believe she tricked me." 

"This is utterly humiliating and the sole reason why I work in an office." 

Marianne scoffed, which got the attention of Bog. 

"What's funny?" He asked, "You know, aside from the obvious?" 

"It's just, ironically, I kinda want to go on this date now."

"Seriously?" Bog asked. 

"Yeah, but if there is no squirting blood involved I might be disappointed." 

"Well, Marianne. It's a good thing I don't disappoint." Bog said with a charming, crooked smirk. 

**Author's Note:**

> I've never done a one-shot before, mainly because I get way too invested and give too much lore to everything I do.
> 
> I also have this weird fear of people in costumes, is this normal?
> 
> Happy Easter everyone!


End file.
